


Girl Stuff

by caseghost



Category: Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting to Know Each Other, Sharing a Room, cloud needs help taking his makeup off oh god aerith can't hear him she's kissing tifa, rated T for a little nudity, taking a bath together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:54:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24708655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caseghost/pseuds/caseghost
Summary: “Seriously, what was the point of us getting all dressed up like this if that disgusting creep was just going to pick Cloud? I mean REALLY? When you look like THAT?”It took Tifa a second to realize that a compliment had been directed at her. It took her the next second to feel like she was being deflated from the inside. And it took the third second for her cheeks to become airbrushed with red.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 13
Kudos: 181





	Girl Stuff

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after the Don Corneo part in the original game, I haven't played the remake quite yet so I don't know if it's much different there? But yeah also realistically would they have had time to spend the night somewhere when they were worried about the plate falling? Probably not but god damn it when IS a good time to kiss in a Final Fantasy timeline? Anyways thanks for reading!!

"Good luck getting his makeup off, Barret!" Aerith's light voice teased playfully.

"What?! Why is that my job?" Barret objected immediately.

"Doesn't it come off on its own?" Cloud said, heavily eye-linered eyes tired. "I was planning to just pass out, so-"

"Cloud!" Aerith cried as she planted her hands on her hips in a mockingly offended fashion. "Don't you know that's horrible for your pores?"

"My what-" Cloud started, but Aerith had already started to move towards him and was working on pushing both him and Barret out of the door. 

Tifa covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

"Out! Out I say! It's well past your bedtimes and goddesses know you both need your beauty sleep."

Cloud had begrudgingly trudged through the doorframe of the girls' inn room with Barret close behind him. Aerith finally slammed the door shut just in time to cut off Barret's desperate cry of, "CAN'T YOU JUST USE WATER?!"

Tifa finally let her raspy giggle break through the barrier of her hand, then tried to stop herself when she saw Aerith smiling back at her. They'd only known each other practically a few hours after all, and Tifa was never sure when to let her guard down around people- if at all. It got even more complicated with the way Aerith made her feel. Years of working at the bar had programmed her to almost become a different person around others. Pleasant, but not too familiar. Guarded and tough when she needed to be to deal with the inevitable creeps and people who had spent way too much time there that night. And always, always serving- whether it was alcohol or emotional labor. Listening to people's raw drunken emotions that spilled out just like the taps that poured the beer night after night took a toll on her. Even if all she could do was sympathetically nod or say some vague words of comfort, people had it rough in Sector 7. They probably forgot what they said once the sun rose again, but Tifa didn't. She never did. And yet this carefully crafted wall that she'd instinctively built all around her threatened to fall the moment she set eyes on Aerith. Even in the short time that they’d mostly spent fighting to get out of the sewer under Don Corneo’s mansion, she’d noticed something in the way Aerith moved: delicate but sure of herself. In the way her eyes lowered sweetly when she smiled, especially when she was teasing Cloud. The way that those same eyes turned to green fire when they were set on an enemy. The close glimpse of those eyes she’d seen when Aerith selflessly jumped in front of an attack meant for Tifa like she didn’t even have to think twice about it. Tifa couldn’t say what it was- she wasn't even sure if it had a name- but something about that beautiful girl made her want to show her everything.

Tifa was bounced back to reality with the sound of bed springs compressing. Aerith had collapsed on one of the beds with an elated combination of a sigh and a hum.

“Uuuuuuggghhh my heels have been killing me!”

Tifa hummed apologetically as she carefully walked over to the bed Aerith had settled down on and rested on the edge of it. Aerith turned to face her, causing her honey brown bangs to scatter across her face. Her green eyes looked up Tifa through the strands of hair, and something about the disheveledness of her made Tifa’s heart skip a beat.

“Seriously, what was the point of us getting all dressed up like this if that disgusting creep was just going to pick Cloud? I mean REALLY? When  _ you _ look like  _ THAT _ ?”

It took Tifa a second to realize that a compliment had been directed at her. It took her the next second to feel like she was being deflated from the inside. And it took the third second for her cheeks to become airbrushed with red.

“No, no, no really!” Tifa flustered, waving her hands with wild abandon. “It should have been you! I mean you look gorgeous in that red dress, the way it compliments your hair, the way it shows off your shoulders, th-” 

Tifa stopped short, suddenly realizing she’d said way too much and wanted to kick herself into oblivion. 

Aerith propped her head off up the bed with her hand and rested it against her cheek. A smirk creeped up the corners of her peachy lipsticked mouth.

“Hm? Why’d you stop?” she said with an almost devilish look in her eyes.

“I-” Tifa croaked, but couldn’t will her voice to go any farther. Luckily, she didn’t have to because Aerith’s flowery laugh broke the tension a moment later.

“You’re so shy, Tifa! I like it but,” the girl said as she sprung up from the bed to a sitting position and grabbed Tifa’s shoulders. “We should get to know each other better!”

Tifa felt like she was being held up purely by toothpicks at this point. If the destruction of Sector 7 didn’t kill her tomorrow, she was pretty sure the amount of close interactions she was getting with a beautiful woman would. 

“H-how should we do that?” Tifa asked.

“Mm, let’s look around our room! I’ve never stayed at an inn like this before, it’s exciting!” Aerith grabbed Tifa’s wrist as she stood, then wobbled and plopped back onto the bed. “But first, can you help me take off these DAMN heels?”

“Of course,” Tifa giggled as she knelt to pull Aerith’s silver heels off her manicured feet. She couldn’t help but bask in Aerith’s excitement for what was an entirely ordinary if not less than average inn. Somehow, Aerith had a way of brightening up even the darkest room.

“There, is that better?” Tifa said as she rose, holding the accursed shoes like a prized medal she’d just earned.

“SO much better!” Aerith leaped to her feet. “Leave those wretched things on the floor. I'm never wearing them again. I swear to goddess. Now come on! Let’s check this out!”

Without waiting for a reply, Aerith grabbed Tifa’s hand. Tifa let the shoes fall as she was dragged on a grand tour of not much really. It was a pretty small room, though it housed two pretty comfy looking twin beds adorned with quilted comforters. Though honestly, anything would look good after spending half the night in a sewer. Apart from that, there was some simple decor- end tables, dim lamps, something like a dresser. A window on the far end of the room with slightly tattered curtains overlooked the main streets of Sector 7. Even though it must be past midnight by now, some people still roamed around, likely coming from bars or other more unsavory activities. Aerith and Tifa came to a stop near it, hands still clasped together.

“Do you think they’re really going to destroy it?” Aerith’s normally glowing voice had turned somber.

Tifa was silent for a moment. A phantom twinge of pain wrapped itself around her chest as she remembered the intel they’d worked to gather that night. The bastards at Shinra were planning to drop the plate on Sector 7. She looked down, not able to bear looking at the people outside who could be gone tomorrow. Everything that she had now was tied to this place. Everything that she’d salvaged after Nibelheim, and everything that kept her tied to the bar instead of fully joining Avalanche. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do if they do,” she replied. There were so many more feelings attached to that statement than could escape her choked up throat, but she wouldn’t let herself express them. 

Aerith uttered the smallest hum in agreement, then proceeded to look down with Tifa for another silence. Suddenly Tifa felt gentle hands wrap around her waist and push her closer to Aerith, bringing her face to rest against the shorter girl’s shoulder. The scent of sweat somehow mixed with honey filled Tifa’s senses.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you upset,” Aerith said. As she spoke Tifa could feel the vibrations of her vocal chords.

“Ah, no, you didn’t! I’m alright!” Tifa assured her.

Aerith pulled away from the embrace that somewhere in TIfa’s heart she wished would last so much longer. She didn’t say anything but her emerald eyes pierced Tifa’s heart with a look that said, “Are you really alright?” Tifa’s feeling of being stared straight through didn’t last for long though, as Aerith turned right back around to her usual self and interlaced her fingers with Tifa’s again.

“Well, come on! This grand tour isn’t over yet! We still have one more stop!” Aerith marched away from the window and across the floor with way too much gusto for a room of such small proportions. Tifa followed.

Aerith reached a door perpendicular from the room’s main entrance. She let go of Tifa’s hand to make a bowing motion. 

“Esteemed Lady Tifa of Nibelheim, may I present to you our very finest…” Aerith paused to push the door open to a common scene. “Bathroom!”

Tifa couldn’t help but burst into laughter, Aerith soon following and deflating her regal posture to steady herself on TIfa’s toned arms. Aerith then turned around and surveyed the room.

“Ah! A bathtub! I would KILL for a bath right now! I must smell like everything that people have thrown away in Midgar in the past week!”

Tifa crossed her arms as she studied the (mostly) white antique looking bathtub. “You might wanna be careful with that one. I’ve heard rumors from tourists coming into the bar that the baths here are kind of rough. Takes forever to heat up.”

Aerith pouted. “Curses! We still need to take baths though.. And we have to leave so early tomorrow morning there’s no way we can wait for it to heat up twice…” Aerith’s eyes suddenly lit up, mirroring the fire they had in battle but in a slightly different shape. “Let’s take a bath together then!”

Tifa’s eyes widened, all of her efforts going to not letting them pop out of her head completely. She felt sweat immediately spring to her palms and thanked the gods she wasn’t holding Aerith’s hand anymore.

“A-are you sure that’s okay?” was all Tifa could manage to squeak out.

Aerith tilted her head with a smile. “Of course! We’re both girls after all!”

Tifa could not begin to unpack why Aerith’s carefree statement made her feel anything but carefree. The thought of seeing Aerith.. naked made feelings like bolts of lightning shoot down her calloused fingertips. She felt almost guilty, like it was something she wasn’t worthy of seeing. Besides, she didn’t even know if Aerith.. liked girls like she did. It was something Tifa still tried to bury deep in her chest and not think about. And yet here Aerith was, making her think about every single aspect of it at once. 

“I’ll go get our stuff! Your bag is over here right?” Aerith was already bounding off to where they’d strewn their bags on the floor.

“Y-yeah,” Tifa answered before she could think about answering, and then proceeded to berate herself in her head.

_ Oh my god what are you doing what are you doing what are you doing- _

Aerith was back in a flash holding a bundle of their clothes in her arms and a small pink bottle. She noticed Tifa looking at it and perked up.

“It’s bubble bath! I bought it at the Wall Market tonight. Apparently it smells like roses!” Aerith uncapped the dainty glass bottle and held it out to Tifa’s nose. Tifa inhaled cautiously and nodded. “Really nice, right? Who knew it’d come in handy!”

Tifa weakly smiled back as Aerith’s bouncy ponytail spun around once again and bounced off to get the bath running. The sound of the water cascading into the tub sounded like the ringing of death bells to Tifa as she leaned against the wall for support. This was insane. This was insane, right? Were girls normally this friendly? Was this normal friend stuff? Tifa had no idea. Growing up, she hadn’t really been that close with other girls. Her main friend had been Cloud, and well..as much as she loved him, he was Cloud. And after Nibelheim she’d had to do a lot of growing up too quickly. Even in her adult life, she never really had time to get that close to anyone. Sure, Jessie had been a regular in her comings and goings with Avalanche, but it’s not like they’d hung out outside of their barside interactions. This was an entirely different beast.

“Hey, can you help me take my dress off?”

Tifa felt like she was going to die.

Aerith’s head turned towards her from the bathroom, hands fumbling to reach towards the thin straps on her back.

“These are kind of hard to reach,” Aerith smiled apologetically.

“Ah, um, yeah of course!” Tifa stuttered as she stepped into the bathroom, every nerve in her body shaking.

Tifa brushed Aerith’s braid away from her back and over her right shoulder, a small act that somehow felt so intimate she wondered if it was okay to do. Her hands that felt too big for the delicate clasp of Aerith’s dress finally found it and undid it, causing the straps to slide down her shoulders ever so slightly. Without realizing it, Tifa moved a hand around to slide one of the straps off Aerith’s shoulder and was met by an unexpected presence: Aerith’s own hand, touching hers. Tifa flinched and looked up to find Aerith meeting her eyes knowingly.

“Thank you,” she said.

Tifa stepped back. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

Aerith shook her head as she continued slipping off her dress. “No no, you’re fine, Tifa!” Aerith’s dress was now fully off, revealing her body in a cute set of pink matching underwear that made Tifa feel like she was looking directly into the sun if she looked for more than a second. “Here, I’ll help you too!”

Before Tifa could say a word, Aerith was behind her, untying the ribbon around her neck that held her blue dress together. Tifa instinctively clamped her arms to her chest to keep the whole thing from falling off.

“Thanks,” Tifa managed to squeak out and catch Aerith’s “you’re welcome” smile before hurriedly turning around to slip off the rest of her clothes. Tifa’s heart was still beating out of control, but she felt like it’d calmed down into some sort of rhythm at the same time. She folded her dress and underwear on the edge of the bathroom counter and turned around. Aerith was fully undressed now, and not paying attention to Tifa as she leaned over the bathtub, shaking drops of rosy pink bubble bath into the water. The sight immediately threw the just settled rhythm of Tifa’s heart back off tempo. Tifa let herself look at Aerith, at her body. Her limbs were lanky, yet she wasn’t slender and skinny all the way around. The places where she should have edges seemed softened somehow- some extra chubbiness on her stomach, breasts smaller than Tifa’s but, Tifa thought, way more perfect. Aerith had let her hair down as well, the ribbon resting on the bathroom counter and the tight braid it had been in all day causing her hair to tumble down her shoulders in gentle waves. Tifa thought she looked like a goddess.

Aerith suddenly leaned up from the bath, finally satisfied with the nest of sweet smelling bubbles she’d produced in the tiny tub. Tifa looked down instantly, her face like a piece of paper being colored in red with a bleeding marker. She couldn’t see Aerith’s face bleed with that same red when she saw Tifa’s body. Aerith’s feet padded across the bathroom tile to be closer to Tifa.

“Tifa… you’re gorgeous.”

“Wh-what?” Tifa’s hands automatically reached up to cover her face, realized that Aerith’s green eyes were intensely sweeping over her, then covered it even more. “No, I’m nothing really…”

“You’re everything!” Aerith insisted. Suddenly Tifa felt a gentle pressure on her stomach. “Your… abs…”

Tifa opened the window shutters of her fingers slightly to see Aerith gazing at her toned muscles with sparkling eyes.

“I’m so jealous!” Aerith said, finally pulling herself away from what she’d suddenly decided was her most prized possession. “Your body is amazing, and you’re so strong Tifa!”

Tifa finally let her shoulders and her guard relax a bit. “I’m sure that guys don’t like it though, you wouldn’t w-”

Aerith grabbed Tifa’s hands suddenly. “Who cares if guys like it?  _ I _ like it!”

Tifa was speechless.

_ Did she- is she? She.. _

“Now come on! Let’s get in the bath before it gets cold!” Aerith pulled Tifa along like always, though it felt different this time.

The comfortably warm pink water surrounded them as they sank into it together, the bubbles creating a potion of secrecy and feelings left unsaid. The warriors felt the aches and pains of the battles they’d fought together that day melting away and collecting in the drain. Tifa finally let herself breathe a sigh of relief, which was contagious enough for Aerith to soon follow. 

“Hey, Tifa,” Aerith’s voice wafted it’s way through the steam. “Let me wash your back.”

“Mm?” Tifa opened her eyes, blinking the moment of relaxation out of them. “A-alright, sure.” She shifted around to face her back towards Aerith, who picked up a washcloth and started swirling it in gentle circles over Tifa’s back.

“You know, Tifa. You don’t have to look out for everyone all the time.”

“What do you mean?” Tifa cocked her head to the side.

“I know I haven’t known you for that long, but I can see how hard you work. I can feel it too. You poor thing, your shoulders are so tense,” Aerith huffed a sigh as she worked delicate fingers into the bundled knots on Tifa’s shoulders.

Tifa didn’t say anything, focusing on the flower petal pressures Aerith pressed into her skin.

Aerith continued. “It’s okay, you know. You’re doing a good job. You don’t need to feel bad about,” Aerith had leaned herself closer to Tifa’s ear to reach a particularly sore spot. “Letting yourself indulge once in a while.”

Her words sent hairs spiking up across Tifa’s neck, and she spun around, water splashing against the sides of the tub and soaking onto the bath mat outside. Tifa felt every inch of her skin on fire. The water of the bathtub felt like an icebox compared to her skin.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Aerith pulled back too, eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Did I hurt you?”

Tifa shook her head violently. “No, it’s just-”

Tifa felt like she was going to burst in every possible way. The feeling of something that she had to do now or the opportunity would never return engulfed her.

Aerith tilted her head, green eyes filling with concern, the heat of the bath tinting her skin the color of a ripe peach, and the water teasing the ends of her wavy hair. Tifa met her eyes, reddish eyes on fire, eyebrows firm, strands of black hair dancing their way across her face, and leaned forward. The bubbles swirled around them. 

“Can I kiss you?”

Aerith’s face lit up in surprise for a moment, then fell into knowingness. “Please.”

Tifa sprung forward almost too eagerly, pushing Aerith towards the wall of the bathtub but placing a sturdy hand on her back so she wouldn’t hit the tap. Eyes closed, Tifa pressed her lips onto Aerith’s. Cautiously at first, then stronger, hungrily, as she discovered a taste that felt more right than anything she’d ever tasted in her life on Aerith’s lips. Aerith smiled into the kiss, reaching up to run a hand through Tifa’s hair and down her back. Tifa didn’t know how long a kiss was supposed to last, but she felt like it was going on for too long and pulled herself away, though Aerith was still grasping onto her shoulder. The realization of what had just happened crept up on her and squeezed at her heart, causing her to constrict into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest and hiding her face.

_ What did I just do what did I just do what did I- _

Tifa felt a strange… plop? Something light and airy had landed on her head. She peeked up to see the ethereal sight of Aerith’s smiling eyes. The rest of her face was obscured by a mountain of pink bubbles as she blew them towards Tifa. One landed on Tifa’s nose and she dissolved into a giggle. Aerith joined her.

“Hey, no need to be shy anymore, Tifa!” Aerith said in between catching breaths from laughter. “I told you you could be indulgent!”

“You know…” Tifa’s eyes crinkled into the softest smile Aerith had seen from her yet. “I think you were just right.”

“Of course I was! After all, I am the all knowing, powerful sorceress Aeri-” Aerith’s monologue was cut short by a spray of bubbles slapping her in the face.

Tifa wiggled her eyebrows playfully at Aerith, half submerged in the water. 

“Hey! I didn’t say you could be  _ that _ indulgent!” Aerith mocked being angry, but they both soon let the bath dissolve into a playful battle ground, interrupted by light kisses, giggles and words shared, and gentle, soothing touches.

  
  


Barret’s heavy knocking on their door at 5 am this morning had immediately put Tifa in a sour mood, but it was quickly sweetened by the sight of Aerith’s groggy face next to her when she opened her eyes.

“Tell him to go away,” Aerith’s voice said, muffled as she snuggled her face into Tifa’s chest. 

Tifa felt her heart threatening to escape her chest at Aerith’s movements, but kept her composure as she instead shifted an arm to gently pet Aerith’s head. “You know I can’t, Aerith. We’ve got a planet to save.” Tifa smiled fondly at the small figure pressed against her. She never would have guessed Aerith was so cuddly, but after their bath last night, Aerith had insisted on sharing a bed together. There were two beds in the hotel room, but Aerith had seen a weird bug in hers and despite Tifa disposing of it with lightning precision, Aerith insisted the “juices” must still be there and couldn’t stand the thought of sleeping there. They both knew it was an excuse to sleep next to each other though. 

“Tell the planet to go away too,” Aerith grumbled, although she was slowly pushing herself up off the mattress. She had pulled herself up into a sitting position and rested her head gently on Tifa’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Tifa looked down at her inquisitively. “For what?”

Aerith squeezed Tifa tight. “For being you of course!”

“I’m gonna have to kiss you for th-” Tifa started, but Barett kindly interrupted.

“CAN YOU GUYS HURRY IT UP? CLOUD LOOKS LIKE HE’S GONNA PASS OUT WITHOUT BREAKFAST!”

“HE LOOKS LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME ANYWAYS!” Aerith yelled back.

Tifa fell into another fit of giggling, something that she wasn’t afraid at all to do around Aerith anymore. It just felt right. 

Despite their reluctance, the girls hurried and got ready for the day. Before heading out the door, Tifa carefully tightened Aerith’s bow while Aerith adjusted Tifa’s suspenders. Finally, giving each other the smallest peck of a kiss and smiles of reassurance, they opened the door and got ready to face the world- or rather, the very grumpy guys waiting outside their door.

“What took you so long?” snapped Barret.

“Oh you know,” Tifa locked her fingers and stretched her arms up to the sky. “Girl stuff.”

Aerith giggled. “Yup! It’s a secret!”

Cloud glared. “What happened? What are  _ you _ guys so happy about?”

“Oh, nothing!” Aerith shrugged carefreely. “We just bonded a bit last night! We’re the best of friends now, there’s no way anyone can take us down in battle! Not even Shinra!” Aerith spun around, wielding an imaginary staff. 

“Is that so?” Barret said with crossed arms. “Well, I appreciate the enthusiasm at least. We need as much of it as we can get.”

“Did you and Barett bond last night too, Cloud?” Tifa asked mischievously.   
Cloud stared at her, deadpanned. Remnants of black eyeliner haunted his eyes, with a very prominent streak parading down his cheek.

“You could say that,” Cloud growled. 

Aerith gasped and squeezed Cloud’s chubby cheek in her hands. “Cloud, you poor pretty thing! That’s enough! I have to get you hooked up with some makeup wipes PRONTO!”

“Wh- y- you had makeup wipes this  _ WHOLE TIME _ ?” Cloud sputtered, pushing Aerith’s pinch off his cheeks.

“Why’d you hold out on us like that, flower girl?” Barret cried.

“Mm,” Aerith hummed, holding her hands behind her back and leaning forward. “For fun!”

The party exploded into a symphony of laughter and annoyed shouting, but out of that entire symphony Tifa focused on her favorite instrument. Aerith, playing the most beautiful notes. A girl that made her feel like it would be alright if the sky fell down around them, as long as Tifa was holding Aerith. 


End file.
